Musical 1)Tribute Honors Martin Luther King Jr

Jan 17 ,2003

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More than 300 singers from the Washington area, as well as a dance troupe¹ from West Africa, gathered recently to perform in the ²⁾Choral Arts Society of Washington's 15th annual Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For one night only, the sold out concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featured traditional music as well as the world premier² of a new work; all part of a long-standing Washington tradition celebrating the birthday and legacy³ of the slain⁴ civil rights leader who promoted peace through non-violence.

"This is a ³⁾humanitarian⁵ event. It's an event that celebrates things that tie all of us together. And nothing says it better, everyone being the same, than music. " Norman Scribner is a founder⁶ and director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, one of the major ⁴⁾symphonic choruses in the country.

"The tradition of the concert for Martin Luther King's birthday is that his legacy is so incredibly potent⁷, it really arches over the span of the 20th century," he says. "He didn't live over the entire 20th century. But when you think of what happened in that century, we began to understand that all different factions⁸ around the country had to live together not only had to but should live together and could rejoice and joy in that. And this man has come out of the 20th century experience as being the primary spokesman for this cause."

In addition to the individual performances by several Washington area choirs¹⁰, Mr. Scribner says he is excited about how they all come together to sing the world premier of a specially¹¹ commissioned work. This year, It is an a cappella piece entitled Truth Pressed to Earth (Shall Rise) by Ysaye M. Barnwell, composer and singer in the internationally-acclaimed a cappella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock.

"And it's all from the writings of Martin Luther King," explains Mr. Scribner. "She went into a thorough investigation¹² of all of his words with the idea of trying to find out which of his words would be relevant to today's world. Had he lived, which of the things that the said back, prior to 1968 when he was killed, would he be saying now? And she's made a ⁵⁾fabulous¹³ text selection and made a fabulous musical selection which will go into the standard ⁶⁾repertory, I'm sure and tonight it's being sung for the very first time."

In addition to Ysaye Barnwell's new work, the Choral Arts Society's Tribute to Martin Luther King included a ⁷⁾newsreel of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. There was dancing by the KanKouran West African Dance Company; and choral director Norman Scribner also invited the audience to participate in some traditional spiritual songs. Mr. Scribner, the son of a Methodist minister, says the Martin Luther King Birthday Concert strikes a personal chord with him.

"And I do view everything in life through a spiritual lens and this concert is as close to spiritual things as you can get," he says. "We do big settings of the Christian¹⁴ Mass, the Latin Mass and the story of the Passion Story of Christ and Handel's Messiah. And all these wonderful big religious works. But in the message of Martin Luther King, you're talking about something that effects everything at the most basic grassroots level. And for me, I get very emotionally wrapped up in it. I get emotionally wrapped up with other music as well, but this one I just can't resist. It's a visceral thing every year I cry at the end, every single ⁸⁾solitary¹⁵ year."

Norman Scribner, music director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, he spoke⁹ at the Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

 

This is Robin¹⁶ Rupli

 

 

1)      tribute [5tribju:t]n. 贡品, 礼物, 颂词, 殷勤, 贡物

2)      Choral Arts Society 艺术合唱队，合唱团

3)      humanitarian [hju(:)7mAni5tZEriEn]n. 人道主义者

4)      symphonic[sim5fCnik]adj. 交响乐的, 和声的

5)      fabulous [5fAbjulEs]adj.寓言中的, 寓言般的, 神话般的,惊人的, 难以置信的

6)      repertory [5repEtEri]n. 仓库

7)      newsreel [5nju:zri:l]n. 新闻影片

8)      solitary [5sClitEri]adj. 孤独的

1 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

7 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

8 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 choirs   

n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼

参考例句：

• They ran the three churches to which they belonged, the clergy, the choirs and the parishioners. 她们管理着自己所属的那三家教堂、牧师、唱诗班和教区居民。 来自飘（部分）
• Since 1935, several village choirs skilled in this music have been created. 1935以来，数支熟练掌握这种音乐的乡村唱诗班相继建立起来。 来自互联网

11 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

16 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。